Get more from your machine

An athletically dressed man is sat on a chair tying the laces on a pair of clean blue running shoes.

Get that running shoe looking like new

Put your best foot forward in sparkling clean trainers. Fresh out of the washing machine, footwear made of synthetic materials like nylon and polyester looks like it’s fresh out of the box. Just remember to check on the care label that they are washable. Then follow these simple steps:

Remove the laces and scrub off any excess mud or dirt off the shoes with an old toothbrush or a wire brush. The machine will take care of any remaining dirt.
It’s best to pop your trainers and their laces in a laundry bag before putting them into the machine. This prevents them from getting damaged or stuck in the rubber door seal.
Including a couple of towels together with the trainers protects them from knocking against the drum and reduces the noise.
When the cycle is finished, stuff newspaper into your shoes. This will absorb moisture and help them keep their shape while they dry in a warm place.

Keep down jackets and duvets in fine feather

It’s easy to warm up to down. Made from quilted duck and goose under feathers, nothing is as light and insulating. But this special material requires some special care. Even if the item’s laundry label indicates its machine washable, there are a few factors to consider before going ahead:

You'll need a washing machine with a large capacity.
Fabric softener is an absolute no-no with feathers.

With those boxes ticked you can, follow the steps below.

Close up of a zipped up back down winter jacket

Step 1: Tackle stains and repairs

Start with an inspection. Repair any tears or damage to your puffer jacket before washing. Otherwise you’ll not only lose some of the down but the feathers can clog your machine’s pump.

If the shell fabric is intact, treat stains with bile soap. There’s no need to rinse it out afterwards, your machine will take over from here. Just be sure to close all zippers and turn the jacket inside out before putting it in the drum.

A woman's hand pours detergent into the open draw of a washing machine.

Step 2: Use a delicate detergent

Detergent in drawer and the job’s done? Not quite. Conventional detergents are much too harsh and will strip the feathers’ natural oils, causing them to clump. Instead get a gentle product that’s specially formulated to care for down, wool or delicates and dose it in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. That usually means only using about a third of what you would for a load of woollens. To really ace the washing process toss in a couple of clean tennis balls to keep the feathers from bunching up together.

A washing machine sits in a brightly lit room. In the foreground is some fresh laundry hanging on a rail. Next to the machine is a tall green house plant.

Step 3: Select the duvet/delicate programme

The duvet programme is tailored to treat your jacket with the care it deserves from start to finish.

If that's not available, go for the 30–40°C wool or delicate programme and consider reducing the spin speed to 400 rpm. It’s important not to omit the spin cycle completely because your jacket will absorb a lot of water. While you want to drain as much of this as possible, high rotation speeds could break the down feathers.

Three blue neon water droplet symbols are above three neon blue lines symbolising waves. In the background is a washing machine drum half full of water.

Step 4: Re-rinse

It’s a good idea to use the Extra Rinse function or re-run the cleaning programme without detergent to flush out all remaining detergent residues. Finish off with another low-speed spin.

Step 5: Remove from the machine

Even after spinning, your puffer will still be waterlogged and heavy. Carefully remove it from the machine without tugging, while keeping it flat, so the seams don’t rip.

Two stacked soft, clean and fresh looking pillows

Put down pillows and duvets to bed

You can also wash down bedding much the same way as you do your jacket. Unless the laundry label indicates otherwise, you can follow the same steps. Just remember to keep these pointers in mind:

Never wash down bedding together with other textiles.
To kill dust mites, you need to wash bedding at 60°C. That may well be too hot for your comforter. Instead investigate anti-allergy detergents for cold washing.
Big, bulky comforters can be even more challenging to air dry than jackets. We strongly recommend a dryer. If you nevertheless decide to go ahead with air drying, remember to spread bedding over a clothes horse and keep shaking out the duvet to prevent clumping.

More ways your machine puts the fab back in fabrics

Now washing is your bag

Yes, it’s very possible your backpack is machine washable. Since this will depend on the textile coating and whether elements, such as buckles, are likely to get damaged in the drum, it’s best to check the care label. If you’re good to go with the machine, you can follow these steps:

Step 1: Start by checking you haven’t forgotten anything in any of the pockets.
Step 2: Rather than placing the unzipped backpack directly in the drum, slip it inside an old pillowcase and close it.
Step 3: Dose with a small amount of gentle detergent and wash at a low temperature of 30–40°C. Again, follow the instruction label and it is best to use mild detergent.
Step 4: Never tumble backpack; leave it to air dry instead. Once all moisture has evaporated, you can apply a waterproofing spray to protect the bag from rain and dirt

The soft option for soft toys

Don’t just toy with washing teddy, especially after a child’s illness. It’s worth giving these items a clean. Most microfibre and terry-cloth plush animals are machine washable. Just give the label a once-over to be sure.

Step 1: Remove anything that isn’t washable or could come loose during a cycle, including batteries, accessories and clothing.

Step 2: Place the stuffed toy in a laundry net or pillowcase before washing.

Step 3: Add a gentle detergent that’s suitable for the toy’s fabric and colour in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions but skip the softener. This can coat the fibres and leave them less than plush.

Step 4: For best results, avoid high temperatures and spin cycles. Instead select the 30°C easy-care, delicate or wool programme.

Step 5: Hang the stuffed toy to air dry on the line or a clothes horse.

Only the best for your best friend

As long as your pet’s accessories are made of textiles and not leather, you can probably machine wash them. Pop them in a laundry bag to prevent tangling and add it to the drum with a few towels. We recommend going easy on the detergent and skipping the softener. Select the Cotton programme and you’ll unleash fresh style on your next walk.